


The Ways We Drown

by samos7



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Airplane Crashes, Drowning, Gen, Kidnapped Peter Parker, Kidnapping, Post-Spider-Man: Homecoming, Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Survival, Water
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:15:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24244867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samos7/pseuds/samos7
Summary: When Peter was eight he almost drowned, and he assumed that he learned his lesson after going through it once.He drowns again years later, but this time he doesn’t know if he’ll survive.A.K.A. Peter and Tony are stranded in the middle of the ocean
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Tony Stark, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 52
Kudos: 141





	1. Peter

**Author's Note:**

> https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

When Peter was eight he almost drowned.

He had been visiting Long Island Beach with Ben and May, celebrating his uncle’s birthday for the weekend. At the time Peter had been ecstatic, having never been near an ocean and wanting to dive in the moment they arrived. However, May had been adamant that he stay close to her side as Ben set up the umbrellas and towels for the day. Peter had listened for a minute or two, but he was nothing if not a curious child.

He seized his opportunity while she was lathering up in sunscreen, running towards the sea and not hesitating to embrace the waves as soon as he reached them. It was a moment that could only be described as ecstasy as he let himself float, completely mesmerized by the way the salt water moved before him.

He had seen plenty of photos of the sea growing up, but to experience the thrill of it was something new entirely. He looked past the sun and tried to find the end of the ocean, but the blue waters appeared to go on for infinity.

Peter smiled as he took a step forward, accepting the challenge.

He chose not to think as he sank deeper into the water, swinging his arms forward and kicking his legs until he was no longer able to touch the shore. He imagined himself as a sea creature as he fully immersed himself into the ocean, and he couldn’t help but think that this was the most fun he would ever have in his life.

But then another wave hit him, and suddenly it was no longer exciting to Peter. He attempted to keep himself afloat but the task felt impossible as the sea began to pull him down. He opened his mouth to call for help but the words were muffled as he choked on salt water instead.

Peter continued to thrash around though he was aware he had no idea how to swim. Elation had quickly turned into blinding fear, and the knowledge that he wouldn’t survive this weighed even heavier than the waves above him. With the realization, he relaxed his body as he began to lose air, and he almost felt at peace when he finally closed his eyes.

Just when he thought he had actually reached the end of the ocean, strong arms grabbed at his shoulders and he was suddenly pulled forward.

Unknowingly at the time, he had allowed the sea to swallow him whole as if it were inevitable, and to this day he is unable to describe the feeling of waves crashing into him as he simply accepts his fate. The moment of peace still haunts him at night when he tries to sleep.

He sometimes wonders if that was what death feels like.

He remembers the lecture he had gotten from Ben and May that day, and he swears he has never felt more guilty. May had been sobbing at that point and Ben was absolutely furious, holding him tight and physical shaking as he tried to explain to Peter why he was not allowed to do that.

Peter had been defensive despite knowing what he had done was wrong. He yelled at Ben with a childish rage and twisted away from his grip, not understanding the severity of the situation until his uncle explained it a different way.

_“What if it were May, would you have wanted her to stop swimming?”_

Peter had shook his head, not even wanting to fathom a scenario where either of them were in danger. Tears begin to form in his eyes but Ben pressed on relentlessly, desperate for Peter to listen.

_“I don’t care how hard it is, you always keep your head above the water.”_

_“But I don’t even know how to swim.”_

_“Then you learn, you ask for help and if there’s no one around you figure it out yourself.”_

The words were stern at the time as they were practically spat at him, but even after all these years they still stick with Peter. He has since then learned the importance of waiting before diving into the water.

This is why he hesitates when his hand touches the doorknob of the apartment and the hairs on his arms inexplicably stand up. A chill runs through his spine and there is no mistaking the warning signs of his Spider Sense.

For a brief moment Peter is skeptical as he had only just finished his school day a half hour ago. He hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep in the past few weeks and his Spider Sense had given false alarms in the past. Still, his shoulders tense up and he halts in his steps.

The only person that should be in the apartment is May, but if something was telling him that he was in danger, then that would mean she was as well.

Peter suddenly feels sick to his stomach.

His heart tells him to open the door and check on May, but he’s certain that it’s not the smartest way to go about the situation. At the same time, his fight or flight response leans to the first one, and he’s tempted to throw himself to the potential threat only so he can protect his aunt in the process.

He ignores the urge and forces himself to take a deep breath instead. There was a possibility that everything was fine inside the apartment and he could simply be overreacting.

Though Peter has never been one to have luck on his side, so he pulls out the phone in his back pocket and contacts the first person that comes to mind. The text is short and quick, but he thinks it gets the message across nevertheless.

It takes a lot of courage for Peter to take a step forward knowing that he may as well be walking into a trap, yet at the same time there was no chance he could wait for help to arrive while May was in there. With that thought in mind, he steels himself as he moves towards the door, but it swings open before he can even touch the handle.

A man that Peter doesn’t recognize stands in front of him and his Spider Sense flairs even more, thus confirming his suspicions that he wasn’t safe here. Despite the uneasiness in his stomach, he tries to stand tall as the stranger peers down at him.

“Peter Parker, nice of you to finally join us.”

The fact that the man not only knew Peter’s name but had apparently been waiting for him in his own apartment causes anticipation to stir in his gut, but he further ignores the feeling as he looks around the room, searching for May.

The worry must have been clearly written on his face because the man laughs and takes a step back, allowing Peter to enter the apartment in a haze. It’s only the two of them in the living room, and Peter feels trepidation at the observation.

“I assume you’re looking for your aunt?” 

He faces the man once more, taking note of the suit he was wearing as well as his balding head of hair. While they have clearly never met each other, he looks at Peter as if he knew every last detail about him.

Peter has so many questions in his head but he starts with the most important one, “Where is she?”

Baldie ignores him and instead sits down on the couch as if he had been invited in the first place, and Peter forces himself to stay calm as he picks up the family photo on the end table. It was one that was taken while Ben was still alive, and it looks plain wrong in the hands of the untrusted stranger.

“How did your uncle die again?” He asks this as he brushes his thumb against the frame before placing it down with gentle hands, but Peter still feels as if he is being taunted with the action. It was a silent reminder of how he has already lost one.

Peter bites on his lip, trying to figure out how he knew about Ben. He watches the man lean back and rest his arms on the sofa, patiently waiting for Peter to gather his thoughts.

“He was shot,” Peter eventually responds, telling the truth solely because he didn’t know what else to say. The man nods as if he knew all along.

Baldie then smiles at the answer, letting out a small chuckle that turns Peter’s vision red. The menacing grin quickly drops when he looks back at Peter, and he can hear the unspoken threat just from the gaze in his eyes.

“She’s safe for now,” Baldie finally says, answering his initial question. 

Peter’s blood runs cold, but before he can further interrogate the man he stands back up, heading towards Peter with such intensity that it momentarily leaves him paraliyzed on his feet. He stops when the two of them are face to face, and it takes all of Peter’s willpower not to flinch away from his hot breath.

“I know your secret Spider-Man.”

While Peter had been expecting this to be about his secret identity, to hear the words spoken with such hatred causes his breath to catch in his throat. It was much easier to fight villains when he had his mask to rely on, but now he is forced to keep eye contact as Baldie glares down at him.

Peter lets out a shaky sigh, attempting in vain to defend himself, “Look man, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The reaction is instantaneous, and Peter has barely any time to catch himself as he’s roughly shoved back by strong hands. His shoulder hits the coat rack behind him though he hides the pain that flourishes from the impact.

The man screams much louder, and the volume rings in Peter’s ears, “That’s _bullshit,_ we’ve seen you visiting this apartment multiple times.”

“Maybe that’s because I _live_ here.”

“That’s funny, most people don’t enter through the window.”

Peter feels disgusted with himself as all of the missing pieces form in his head, and it was abundantly clear how his identity has been discovered. He was usually careful whenever travelling as Spider-Man, and more often than not he made sure to change in an alleyway before heading anywhere near the apartment.

Yet there had been a few times, instances where it had been too difficult for Peter to take those precautions. Whether it be because he had gotten stabbed in the back, or hit in the head one too many times to the point where he was quite literally seeing stars as he walked home.

These were the moments where there were more pressing issues to attend to than protecting his identity, and the fact that it has started this ordeal in the first place causes Peter to hate himself more than he ever has before.

He opens his mouth only to close it seconds later, not knowing what he could say to convince the man that he was wrong in his accusation. At the obvious hesitation, the man grins in triumph as he takes another step closer to Peter.

“If you know what’s best for May Parker you’ll come with us.”

Peter was confident that he could take down the man in the matter of seconds. In the past has fought off villians that were triple his size, and now should be no different. Yet the mention of May’s safety forces Peter to hold himself back, and he can’t help but feel useless as he peers into Baldie’s unforgiving eyes.

“Where is she?” Peter asks again, and while the question is supposed to be fueled with anger it instead comes out with a hint of desperation. The man smiles again, looking him up and down as if he were a lab experiment.

“Bring her out gentlemen,” he says with a snap of his fingers, and suddenly the bedroom door was thrown open. Two burly men walked out with May physically dragged behind and tied with rope, and while there was duct tape covering her mouth, what she wanted to say was clear in her eyes as she looked at Peter through a combination of fear and fury.

Peter ignores all of this however, because the only thing he can focus on was the gun pressed against her head, leaving an indent on her temple as she pushes against their grip.

A small part of Peter is impressed that May is able to hold herself together while her life is being threatened, but he honestly isn’t too surprised when considering how strong of a woman she is. He wishes he could do the same, but with his heartrate picking up and his breaths coming out more as gasps for air, he knows that he is seconds away from a panic attack.

He’s already lost Ben, and he would never be able to forgive himself if he somehow managed to lose May as well.

The Boss of the operation looks back at Peter and observes the way his posture changes. It was obvious to all of them the bond that he and May shared, and Peter mentally kicks himself for being unable to properly hide his emotions when it matters most.

It’s impossible to camouflage anything when he stares at the pistol aimed at the only family he has left.

“If you come with us no one will get hurt,” the man reminds with a sing-song tone. The sound is like nails on a chalkboard to Peter, but he ignores the sudden nausea as he attempts to pull himself together for May’s sake.

“How do I know you’ll keep your end of the deal?”

“You don’t,” Baldie says with another grin, looking far too pleased with the turn of events. 

As if it were second nature, Peter turns and does a quick scan of May to gauge her reaction. While doing this he notices that there are no obvious injuries on her face or body, and despite the situation he can’t help but feel a little bit grateful. Since his time as Spider-Man he has learned to appreciate the silver linings, and this was no exception.

He looks back up and sees the message so clear in her eyes; she did not want him to agree to the exchange.

Peter shrugs his shoulders the slightest bit, offering a silent apology as he directs his attention back to Baldie. If he was being honest with himself, he didn’t want to follow through with the arrangement either, but once again seeing the gun directed at her head was a blatant reminder that he didn’t have a choice in the matter.

He feels like he’s drowning as he takes a step forward, allowing the guards to push him into handcuffs that he could easily break out of in seconds if he wanted too. He resists the temptation as he’s dragged away from May, headed out the apartment and into a white van that looks around thirty years old.

It’s such a cliche that it causes a small laugh to rise out of Peter, but he’s headbutted with an end of a pistol as soon as he makes the sound.

“Try anything and we’ll shoot your aunt with no hesitation, all I have to do is say the word.”

The laugh is cut off in an instance, and Peter can only nod in response.

He tries to keep his head above the water like Ben had asked all those years ago, yet it feels impossible as terror pulls him under. He’s helpless as he’s thrown into the back of the van, and he doesn’t dare move a muscle with the fear that May will face the repercussions. 

He may be drowning, but at least May was far away from the water. There was a silver lining in that, and Peter clings on to the thought as the van drives away with no bystanders trying to intervene.


	2. Tony

“That kid can’t keep himself out of trouble for five goddamn minutes.”

Tony sighs as Happy continues to grumble through the phone, and he ignores the pit in his stomach as he skims through the Queens security footage from the past twenty four hours. He inserts another facial recognition scan, and when Peter’s face doesn’t show up Tony lets his temper get the best of him. He punches the nearest wall and bites his tongue to prevent screaming on the top of his lungs. 

It had been a half hour since Tony had read Peter’s message asking for backup, and he can’t help but think that the wasted time will cost someone their life. Tony had been careless by ignoring his texts, but he chooses to focus on the anger inside of him rather than the guilt. He’s already lost enough minutes as it is. 

“Any update on May?”

“Still headed to the apartment, I should be there in ten minutes if traffic would hurry up.” Happy says this as he honks the horn multiple times, cursing at some of the drivers who pass him by. Tony can practically see him flipping off some of the bystanders, and in any other situation he would poke fun at the idea of it.

Instead he forces his attention once more on the security logs, and after he reaches yet another dead end Tony doesn’t hold anything back when he groans. It was safe to say that both of their nerves were shot at this point, and Tony doesn’t know if he should be aggravated with himself or Peter for causing this mess in the first place.

Though the moment he even considers blaming Peter for the chaos is when he immediately ridicules himself. The kid had nothing to do with the kidnapping just how he had nothing to do with the Vulture incident. 

It has been a few months since Spider-Man has taken down Adrian Toomes, and since then his relationship with the boy has been tense. In the beginning he assumed it was because Peter was simply an awkward kid, but the moment Tony began to find his mannerisms as endearing instead of uncomfortable was when he realized it was his fault the two were on rocky terms. 

Tony has been trying to keep him at an arm's length so as to avoid this exact scenario, but the kid has a way of breaking barriers without even trying. As more time passes by the more he finds himself enjoying Peter’s company, and he thinks that might be the most terrifying realization of them all. This is what he worries about at night when he sees Peter patrolling as Spider-Man, and he wishes he could take back the day he first met him. 

But that wasn't true either, yet Tony lies to himself anyway. 

He doesn’t have time to fret now, so he pushes the fear aside and begins to search through another video log. Happy distracts him before he can fully do so.

“Hey Boss, you might want to come to the apartment yourself. There’s a lot more men than we expected and I don’t know if I’ll be able to take them out myself.”

“I thought you said you could handle it?” Tony doesn’t mean to snap but he can’t help himself. The selfish part of him was only concerned about Peter’s well-being, and he hates himself for even thinking that way.

Of course he didn’t want the aunt to die, which is why he and Happy have decided to divide and conquer. Though at the end of the day Tony’s priorities lean towards the kid, and he’s certain that May would agree with him if she was given a say. 

“There’s too many of them to fight without someone getting killed, it’s not worth the risk going in alone.” 

Tony wants to argue, but even he can see the logic in that, “Fine, I’ll be there in five.” 

He sighs as he heads towards his Iron Man suit, and he supposes he should’ve left with Happy to begin with. Since he read the text from Peter he hasn’t been in the right state of mind, and he thinks that it's another factor that will destroy someone’s life when all is said and done.

He’s furious with himself as he flies past New York City, and he flips off any cameras that take pictures of him when he desperately searches for Peter. He forces himself to take a deep breath when he finally lands on the ground, and he tries to pull himself together for both of the Parkers. 

Happy is already there, gun in his hand and ready for action. “Took you long enough.” 

“I got stuck in traffic,” Tony replies with a wink, attempting to hide his anxiousness as they move closer to the building. Of course Happy sees right through his facade, but he graciously chooses to ignore it and simply roll his eyes instead.

“So what's the game plan?" 

Tony raises an eyebrow in acknowledgement but still ignores the question. He doesn't stop his stride, and he's slightly embarrassed that he has the path committed to memory at he thoughtlessly makes left and right turns. He only thinks about this for a second before squashing the observation to the back of his mind, and he continues to pass other residents who stare at him in shock. Happy follows close behind before grabbing at his shoulders, forcing him to finally pause on his feet. 

“We can’t just _barge_ in there, you may have a bulletproof suit but May is screwed if we show up with no plan. We need to play it safe.”

“I see you’re beginning to worry about the aunt- I don’t blame you there, she's definitely a sight to see.” 

" _Tony,_ we’re wasting too much time for you to be making jokes right now.” 

“You’re right, so let me handle this.”

He ignores Happy's protests as he finally reaches the apartment, and he doesn't think twice as he breaks down the door with one kick. The commotion makes a grand entrance as all of the men turn his way, and they are clearly shocked to see Iron Man in their vicinity. Tony uses the element of surprise to his advantage as he immediately gets to work, blasting some of the men away that try to fight him and not wasting a second as he makes his way towards May.

There are two guards that are holding her tight, so Tony raises each of his blasters and aims them directly at their heads, “I'll get straight to the point, either kill the woman and I’ll blow your heads off, or retreat now and maybe I’ll allow you to live.” 

The two men look at one another then at all of the other unconscious guards laying next to their feet. They don’t hesitate when dropping May and running towards the exit as fast as they can, and Tony can’t help but feel the least bit prideful. He allows one of them to go but grabs the other by the collar before he can get very far. He the rams the guard against the wall and points the weapon directly at his face, “tell me anything you know about Peter Parker.”

The response is instantaneous, and the guard practically squeals his answer. “I don’t know, I was just following orders I swear.”

He says this with a tremble in his voice, and Tony is absolutely livid with the lack of information. He kicks the abandoned gun on the floor so it lays on the other side of the room before leaning even closer to the man.

“I don’t know if I believe you.”

“If I knew I would tell you, please don’t kill me- I didn’t have a choice.” 

The man continues to beg for his life, but Tony wasn’t listening anymore. He looks into his eyes and sees the blind terror that proves that the man was telling the truth, and he can’t help but feel disappointed. 

He punches the guard square in the face until he’s knocked unconscious on the floor, and before Tony turns around he tries to camouflage his new uncertainty with confidence. He faces May who raises an eyebrow at him expectantly, and Tony sees how she is still tied up with the series of ropes and duct tape. 

“What happened to playing it safe?” Happy asks from behind him. He has forgotten that he had been standing there to begin with, and he chooses to ignore the glare he receives.

“Time is precious.”

Tony doesn’t explain more as he removes the duct tape off of May’s face with one swipe. Then he immediately gets to work on undoing the ropes so he at least has something to do with all of the nervous energy he holds inside of him. 

“If that were true you would have been here earlier.” 

Tony pauses when trying to untie a knot, staring up at May who doesn't hold back, “Where were you when my kid was taken Stark? For all we know he could be _dead_ right now.”

“We’re doing everything we can to find him,” Tony begins to defend himself but he’s interrupted when May cuts him off with a laugh that holds no humor to it.

“Could have fooled me. You said you would keep him safe from this kind of stuff, it was your job to protect him.”

Tony doesn’t have a true rebuttal, but he attempts to offer one anyway in the hopes that it won’t come off as a broken promise. It’s a weak attempt for comfort, and both of them know it. 

“It’s only been an hour since he was taken, and even so, if anyone can survive this it’s Peter.”

“Don’t talk like you know him,” May snaps back and her voice shakes at the last word. She looks seconds away from breaking down at this point, and Tony works even faster to on the ropes that were holding her back. 

“Peter might worship the ground you step on, but I know exactly how you work Stark- so don’t you _dare_ try to tell me how Peter is because if anyone knows it’s me.” 

“I didn’t mean to imply otherwise Mrs. Parker.” 

May is ready to snap again, but she closes her eyes last second and lets out a shaky breath instead. Tony finally finishes in taking the ropes off, and he and Happy both hold out their hands to help her on her feet. She swats both of them away as she gets up on her own, and when she faces them once more there’s a forced resignation in her eyes that scares Tony in a way he didn’t understand. 

“Fighting will get us nowhere if we want to find Peter, so I’ll push my feelings of you aside for now.”

Tony opens his mouth to say something, though he isn't sure what exactly. Before he can even get a word out, May directs her attention to Happy and jumps into action. 

“Have you tracked down his phone yet?” 

Happy seems just as taken aback, yet he pulls himself together in an instance, acting once more as the Head of Security that he is. 

“That was the first thing we did but someone threw it a couple blocks away from your apartment. It doesn’t give us any information of where they could have gone.”

May nods as if she had been expecting this answer, and then she begins to walk out of the room, quite literally stepping over the unconscious men and broken furniture that scatters the living room.

"Let's go then, we need a lead and standing here will find us nothing." 

"You two go, I'll stay and get all of this cleaned up," Happy says while gesturing towards the floor. The thought of being alone in a room with May is a little bit terrifying, though he supposes he wasn't given an option when she nods again and begins to drag him out of the room.

For once Tony leaves without a fight, and he can only hope that Peter was still alive when he checks the time. 


	3. Peter

Peter knows better than to aggravate the enemy, yet his complacency makes him feel weak as the guards continue to toy with him during the car ride.

The irony of the situation was that Peter could easily get himself out of the van if he wanted to, but he chooses to keep still even as hands begin to pull at his body. He wants to fight more than anything, but he knows that it's not worth the risk of hurting May.

Despite the fear, he holds his head up high when the door slams open, though before he can say anything he's suddenly thrown out of the trunk. From there they begin to walk, and Peter purposefully drags his feet across the pavement in a small show of defiance. It doesn't do much, but he's still proud when he hears one of the guards curse under his breath.

While he doesn't know where they were headed, he isn't surprised when he enters a room that looks similar to a warehouse. He rolls his eyes at the observation, and he can no longer keep his mouth shut.

"And here I thought we were done with the cliches."

The remark earns a slap in the face that burns his cheek red, but Peter barely flinches at the contact. He's faced many worse blows than this one, and the group of men were nothing compared to the villains he had fought in the past.

At the same time, this fight was somehow just as terrifying as the battle in Germany or even Toomes, because he knew he wasn't able to defend himself the way he wanted to. With May on the forefront of his mind, Peter chooses to keep any other comments to himself as he waits for worse to come.

Some time passes by before a new figure enters the building, and the response from the guards is instantaneous. They all salute the stranger as if they were trained to do exactly so, and Peter can only roll his eyes at the predictability of it all.

The man was wearing a suit that looks more costly than his apartment rent, and the gold watch on his wrist only adds to the aura of authority. Unlike Baldie, the newcomer has a head of jet black hair that slightly resembles Elvis Presley from the way it's jelled back, and Peter has to cover his laugh with a fake cough as he fights the urge to poke fun at him.

The man doesn't waste another second as he moves forward, and in doing so he looks Peter up and down as if he were prey. The pure look of disgust in his eyes distract from any more humor, and Peter forgets to hide the fear on his face as the stranger finally speaks up.

"Nobody told me Spider-Man was just a kid."

"I'm not a kid," Peter replies simply out of force of habit.

In response the leader offers a sinister grin that shakes Peter to the core, and he once again has to remind himself to stay calm and collected. Even so, his Spider Sense reacts to the yellow teeth automatically, and he had to break eye contact as he directs his attention to a grey wall instead.

It's silent for another minute, and it's not until he feels a hand begin to brush through his hair when he forces himself to look back at his captor.

"You're right, you're not a child."

Peter is confused by the statement, but before he can think too much on it he's distracted by the hand that now pulls tightly against his scalp. His head is smacked against the concrete wall in mere seconds, and he forgets everything else as he only registers pain.

The blows don't stop from there and each impact is given with more force. At some point hands turn into feet, and he fruitlessly attempts to cover his face when a heel knocks against his teeth. He's certain that he's going to pass out when the pain seems to become overbearing, and it's only the taste of metal in his mouth that keeps him aware of his surroundings.

However, right when the black spots began to overtake his vision, everything comes to a halt. His head is lifted from the top of his hair which makes him feel lightheaded, yet he still attempts to pull away from the mouth that presses against his ear. The hot breath that lingers on his cheek causes a shiver to course through his body, and he can't help but flinch away from the man's words.

"Children aren't freaks of nature like you."

At that Peter vaguely hears cheering from all around him, but it's not as prominent as the ringing in his ears. Nevertheless, he tries to ignore the temptation of sleep as Knockoff Elvis continues to whisper in his ear.

"From now on you don't speak unless told otherwise, you understand me?"

Peter's brain works on autopilot as he begins to nod, and the action causes the room to spin around him. He looks back up only to be slapped in the face so hard that he distantly wonder if he still has all of his teeth in place.

"And no eye contact under any circumstances, you keep your head down and show some respect."

Peter wants to argue now more than ever, but the hand that tightens around his hair is a silent reminder to listen to the command. The guards around him continue to shout what he could now process as slurs, and he feels as if he were being treated like an animal from the way they talked down on him.

Peter considers following to the demands for a second, but he’s never been one to listen to orders.

"You won't get away with this," he tries to announce it with as much confidence as possible, but he still flinches back when Elvis spits in his face seconds later. He lifts his arm and clenches his hand into a fist, and Peter closes his eyes to prepare himself for another hit.

When no pain follows, he peaks an eye open with curiosity.

"What makes you think we haven't already?"

It isn't Elvis who asks this but instead Baldie, and Peter notices that he holds everyone's attention. He uses this to his advantage as he raises his voice in hopes that it won't waver, "well for one, you're all arrogant as hell."

Unsurprisingly, the statement earns another punch that causes blood to form in his mouth, and he makes sure to aim for the leader's shoes when he spits it out. Even when his head is banged on the ground, he can't help but smile in triumph.

"Iron Man is coming."

Peter doesn't further elaborate because he doesn't feel like he has too. He's certain that Tony was coming to save him, and that alone was a bigger threat than anything else he could say.

He waits for another hit to come, but everyone seems to freeze after he mummers out the words. Peter feels accomplished before he is brought back to reality by one of the men.

"If you think Tony Stark is coming than you're crazier than we thought."

"Looks like you hit its head one too many times, Boss."

The men continue to patronize Peter, but he pays no mind to the insults they throw his way. While he may sound delusional for putting his blind faith in Tony, he was certain the man was going to come and save the day.

It was the main reason he let himself get kidnapped so easily, and why he was okay with leaving May alone in Queens. Tony has probably saved her by now, and it was only a matter of stalling until Peter was next.

"Iron Man always comes, and this time will be no different."   


Or at least he hopes.

When Elvis raises his fist in outrage, Peter allows himself to close his eyes knowing that he would be safe in the end.

\+ + +

He was not safe in the end.

The next time Peter opens his eyes, a part of him expects to wake up in the medical wing with May by his side. When he finds himself in what seems to be a private jet instead, he can't help but feel the slightest bit disappointed.

There were a lot less men than before, though all of the guards that surrounded Peter held guns to their chests. He immediately begins to search for a familiar face in the plane, and it's not until then when someone notices his arousal.

"Head down," Baldie says while aiming the pistol directly at his forehead, and he's forced to listen to the demand. From there all of the guards direct their attention to Peter, and he hears a voice that he recognizes after spending the entire day being kidnapped.

"It's awake sooner than we expected Boss."

"That's fine, it's not like it has anywhere to escape anyway."

Despite the uncertainty he was beginning to feel, Peter still attempts to defend himself, "I'm not an _it_ , just because I have powers doesn't mean I'm any less human than you."

His Spider Sense goes off right before a pistol is pressed firmly at his temple, and Peter doesn’t bother to act surprised at this point.

"One more word and it'll be your last."

Peter was taking a gamble by speaking out, but he was positive they wouldn't shoot him just yet. The only reason he was most likely alive was because they needed something from him, and he was willing to use it to his advantage for as long as he could.

"If you want to kill me so badly go ahead and do it, nobody's stopping you."

"Do you have a death wish?"

Peter only smiles in response, faking cockiness in a way that he thinks any other Avenger would. In actuality, he's unsettled with the knowledge that the plane was up in the air, and it reminds him of the last time he was alone on a jet.

"Let it talk Reed, it'll learn the rules soon enough."

Peter directs his attention back to Knockoff Elvis, not bothering to hide his glare as he faces the leader head-on, "I'll be dead before I listen to you."

They begins to yell more threats at Peter, but he was no longer listening to what he had to say. With the pistol still planted against his head, Peter begins to form a makeshift plan.

Once the plane was landed he could properly fight off the men holding him hostage. There were only six of them now, and if he manages to knock them out in time there would be no way for the others to know. He could find a way back to Queens and save May from any harm she was still in.

He tests the flimsy pair of handcuffs on his wrists by slightly pulling them apart, and he fights the urge to shout in victory when he feels the metal easily give in to the pressure. Now all Peter had to do was wait, so he chooses to fake compliance as some of the guards continue to taunt him.

That is until he hears a loud thud from the other side of the jet, and before he knows it the escape door is being slammed open by none other than Iron Man himself.

This time Peter doesn't bother to hide his smile, and he feels relief that Tony had actually chosen to show up. He hadn't realized until then that he was skeptical of anyone coming to rescue him, and he's thankful that what he was saying earlier hadn't turned out to be a lie.

Elvis looks just as shocked as Peter feels, but he's quick to hide it with exasperation as he pulls his own gun forward. Peter assumes that he was going to try and shoot Tony, but he instead directs the head of the pistol so it was aimed at himself. The other guards quickly follow suit, and in a matter of seconds all of the guns are trained at Peter's head.

"A little excessive, don't you think?" he says in an attempt to lighten the mood, but no one seems to pay attention as they sit in a stand still. The tension in the plane could be spotted from miles away, and Peter can't sit still with all of his pent up energy.

Eventually however, Tony is the first one to give in as he raises his hands in surrender, "Don't shoot, alright? I'll stand down."

Peter is confused as to why Tony seemed to be giving in so easily, and he’s never heard the words of defeat spoken so quickly from the other. The rest of the men are much less surprised apparently, and Elvis seems to find confidence in himself as he puts his own gun down and walks until he was directly in front of Iron Man.

"Out of the suit Stark, you really thought it would be that easy to take it back?"

"Take _what_ back?" Tony asks the question with bite in his voice, but at the same time he raises his face mask so the captors could actually see his eyes. He doesn't waste a second as he looks at Peter, and he wonders if he was imagining the concern that reveals itself in Tony's face. 

"You okay kid?"

Peter begins to nod, though before he can properly do so he feels hands tighten around his neck. He has three guns pressed firmed against his head at this point, and he tries to stand as still as possible when he hears two of them release safety mode.

Peter was certain they wouldn't shoot him on the plane, but now he wasn't so sure.

Nevertheless, he's annoyed with Tony as the man steps out of the suit with no further hesitation, keeping his arms up in a show of obedience.

Still, he tries to bargain, "Is it money that you want, because I can give that to you."

To that Elvis rolls his eyes, and the two guards by his side don't waste a second as they begin to examine the Iron Man suit.

"I didn't think Tony Stark would actually show up, this is _crazy_."

Peter takes a closer look at Tony and waits for a comeback to follow, yet he finds eyes staring right back with a look that he hasn't quite seen on the man's face before.

He wants to say something that would reassure Tony, but he wasn't exactly what would be appropriate in the moment. Before he can open his mouth to at least offer an apology, he's quickly distracted by the men that start to tear at the Iron Suit, finding the control panel and pulling at the wires that keep it functioning.

"What the hell man," Peter attempts to push away from the guns at his side, but the glare he receives from Tony leaves him frozen. 

Peter had planned to listen to the clear warning in his eyes, but when he sees one of the guards aim the pistol away at Peter and instead at Tony, he can no longer stay defenseless.

He moves in an instance, head butting two of the guards that held him back and knocking them out in one go.

While he still has the element of surprise on his side, Peter jumps in front of the man threatening Tony so he was now in the line of fire. Just as he had suspected, no one shoots after he moves forward, yet chaos ensues in a different way.

Hands are grabbing at him and he assumes Tony as well, and he can only hope that he had made the right decision to start fighting now rather than later. There was no where to run while they were still up in the air, and without the Iron Man suit Tony was temporary trapped as well.

Still, there was no way he was going to watch Tony get shot and not do anything about it. He has since learned from that mistake.

He dodges kicks and punches that are thrown his way, yet he doesn't know where they're coming from. Everything is happening too quickly, and not even Peter is able to sense the danger that comes from the fight.

He's aware of the gunshots that try to tame him, but he ducks before it becomes anything lethal. That's the moment when the bullet hits the flying panel at the front of the jet, and sparks are flying everywhere before they knows it.

Peter is slow in realizing what was going on, and it's only his Spider Sense that brings awareness to the severity of the situation. The plane falls in seconds and causes his stomach to drop with it.

Hands grab at him once more, and Peter guesses that it's one of the guards holding him down. He turns around with his fist raised, but holds back when he faces a terrified view if Tony instead. 

Tony is fast to lead him to the emergency exit, holding onto his arm with such strength that he’s certain it would leave red marks on his skin. While his mouth is moving, it was difficult to understand what he was saying with all of the commotion around them.

Peter then takes a step back when Tony slams the door open, but the grip only tightens in response. 

Everything happens too fast, and he barely has time to process as Tony jumps out of the plane with Peter close behind, clenching onto his shirt with vigor and pulling him close to his chest as they fall.

There's no time to think as they both slam into the ocean water, and the impact reminds him of a memory he had almost forgotten from years ago.

The moment his body dives into the water Peter has only one thought in his mind. He keeps his head above the waves, fighting to keep Tony afloat as well when they begin to sink together.


	4. Tony

The ocean is all consuming.

Basic survival skills seem impossible to follow as he sinks lower into the water, yet he kicks his feet anyway in a useless attempt to swim. The waves are ruthless as they crash into him, and the temperature only seems to drop as he begins to lose consciousness.

Tony is shocked that he's even managed to survive the initial landing, and for some reason that's the only thought he is able to focus on as he closes his eyes and allows the muscles in his body to loosen. The feeling reminds him of the calm before a storm, where all stress seems to vanish for just as a moment as he relaxes instead.

It was vital to plan the jump so they were far enough from the plane crash but close enough to the water where either wouldn’t die from the impact. He supposes if he was still alive then he had managed to do exactly that, but the question on what to do next was one that felt not as important anymore.

But then he barely registers the hand that is pulling him forward, and it takes longer than it should for Tony to realize that he's not alone in the middle of the ocean.

_Peter._

Any calm that he was experiencing is quickly replaced with blind fear which gives him the energy he needs. Before he knows it his head is above the water, and he thrashes around while desperately searching for a quick solution. Meanwhile, his heart thuds loudly against his chest and acts as a reminder as of what was on the line.

_Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter-_

It's hard to focus on anything other than his terror, and he looks around only to find the remnants of the private jet they were on minutes ago. It's completely destroyed with pieces and parts floating all around them, and it causes the waves to react in a way that makes Tony feel seasick.

He ignores the nausea and keeps moving his arms, and it's not until then when he feels the same hand from before gripping desperately on his own. The hand keeps tugging and makes him aware of what was happening, and it's only then when Tony forces himself to look past the ocean to see where they were headed.

Directly in front him lays a relatively large piece of metal that seemed able to hold two people, and he finally understands what Peter was trying to accomplish. He finds his bearings as he moves with him, and with Tony no longer acting as dead weight the two are able to reach the area in record time.

Peter effortlessly hops onto the aluminum before turning back and physically dragging Tony on as well. From there he drops him so roughly that he thinks it's going to leave a bruise, yet it's the least of his concerns as he leans forward and chokes the salt water out of his lungs.

His chest hurts more than ever before, and the lack of oxygen makes him believe that he's going to die either way. Nevertheless, he forces the water out of his mouth and doesn't waste another second as he crawls over to Peter.

When Tony is finally able to take a good look at the kid, what he sees makes his heart leap out of his throat. Peter's lips are practically blue as he continues to cough, and his whole body shakes and spasms as he's barely able to hold himself up.

Tony thinks that he's going to have to perform CPR, though he doesn't know how he's going to achieve this when he can barely breathe himself. Fortunately however, God seems to be on his side for once in his life, because right when Tony slams his palm against Peter's back is when he hears wet gasps for air coming from the boy. It's outright painful and Tony can barely hear it over the sound of the waves crashing into each other, but it's there nevertheless.

And it's a beautiful sound, for it's proof that they both have somehow survived against all odds.

Peter glances up at Tony then, and he can barely see his eyes with his soaked bangs covering most of his forehead. Still, he notices a look of resolve on Peter's face, and it's the only warning Tony receives before he turns and attempts to dive right back into the unforgiving water.

Tony moves faster than he thought was possible, and he's quick to grab onto Peter's shoulders to pull him from the edge. At that Peter begins to fight by pushing away, and Tony is nothing but confused as he screams into his ear.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"They're _drowning,_ we can't just let them die."

Peter continues to shove at him but the attempts grow weaker with each jab. If he hadn't almost drowned himself Peter would have been easily able to fight off Tony, and he can only be grateful that he seemed to have lost most of his energy.

Tony has the opposite reaction while his rage translates into strength, and he holds onto Peter with a little too much force. He refuses to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth, and he doesn't bother to hide the fury in this voice as he argues.

"They were going to _kill_ you ten minutes ago."

"That doesn't mean we should just let them die, I can help."

"You are not risking your life for people who want you dead, I refuse."

"Mister Stark-"

"I said _no_."

Peter stops thrashing then, and he must hear something in Tony's voice because he doesn't offer any more struggle as he seems to physically deflate instead. Tony is hesitant in letting go, and he makes sure that Peter isn't trying to pull a trick before he moves so they are sitting in front of each other.

Then, he asks the question he's been thinking since the beginning, "Why did you fight in the plane when you _knew_ what was at risk?"

"They had a gun to your head, I wasn't going to let you get shot like that."

"And that was the dumbest thing you could have done, are you out of your mind?"

Peter stares in return, seemingly shocked that he was receiving a lecture in the moment. With that he immediately responds in defense which only fuels Tony's anger.

"I did what I had to do- if anything you should be thanking me for saving your life."

"If weren't for you we wouldn't be stuck in this mess to begin with, you should have let me handled it."

"Oh and you were doing _such_ a good job with that, how could I forget?

Tony is seconds away from smacking him in the head, though before he can knock some sense into the kid another wave crashes into their makeshift lifeboat. He tries to keep himself in tact and Peter seems to effortlessly do so by sticking onto the metal using his abilities.

The water is a reminder that they have more important issues to focus on, so he forces himself to bury his anger just temporarily until they come up with a better solution.

Even when thinking this he knows that the attempt was pointless however. They had no way of contacting anyone which means that they had no other choice other than to wait. The realization brings no comfort, yet Tony cannot afford to show the dread on his face when he has a sixteen year old boy to protect and take care of.

With that thought in mind, he takes a deep breath before giving Peter a once-over, ensuring that he wasn't hiding any injuries from him. When he reaches his face he sees eyes that stare not at himself but instead the ocean water, and there's a look that resembles both a lost child also and an adult who has seen too much. If Tony didn't know any better he would have assumed that Peter had aged ten years in the past day alone, and the image is nothing but terrifying.

He attempts to distract by placing a rough hand on his shoulder, and Peter startles at the physical contact as if he had forgotten Tony was sitting there to begin with. It’s only then when he properly gives him attention. 

"What if we can still help?"

Tony sighs before answering, "they're already dead, there's no point in going back."

"But we don't know that."

"Look around, do you see any bodies?"

Tony knows that he's being harsh by the way Peter's eyes widen at the question, yet he waits for Peter to search around the ocean before continuing to speak. He eventually comes to the same conclusion that Tony has already had, and the look of agony that crosses Peter’s features force him to look away. 

"They'll begin to float in a weeks time, and by then someone will come to collect their bodies and us as well."

He hopes that someone comes sooner, because by then he’s certain that they’ll both be dead in the water. He doesn’t share this thought knowing that it will freak Peter out.

"But what if they're still alive."

"I would have killed them either way."

It's only then when Peter meets his eyes, and the kid looks truly heartbroken as his shoulders sag in defeat. Tony chooses to ignore the way his lips tremble as he peers down at the ocean waves instead.

"You don't mean that."

Tony simply shrugs in response, because in all honesty he's not sure what he would have done if he was given a couple more minutes with the captors. All he is certain of was that there were guns pressed against Peter's head and Tony would have done anything to ensure that he was safe, even if that meant that he would be the one to pull the trigger.

He tries to think of the right thing to say in the moment, but he's distracted when he hears a choked sob from directly in front of him. He faces Peter in an instant, and he's more shocked than he should be to see the kid holding back tears.

Tony is tempted to comfort him, but he knows that there's no time to do so. Instead, he continues the stern approach as he moves his hand so it presses against Peter's wrist.

"You're not allowed to cry until a rescue team comes and supplies us with water. Tears will lead to quick hydration and that is _not_ an option right now, do you understand me?"

Peter allows a few tears to fall, but he seems to understand the severity of what he was saying as he nods. Tony then watches as he closes his eyes and begins to regulate his breathing through a forced, calmed state, and no one speaks as each gain control of their own emotions.

Tony feels guilty for being so harsh on the kid, but he's certain that it's the only way either of them are going to survive in the middle of the ocean with no food or supplies.

No one speaks for another minute, yet Peter is the one to eventually break the silence, "How did you even find me anyway?"

"It was actually May who was able to get your location in the end."

The reaction from Peter is one that he had not expected, and the way he jumps forward scares Tony for just a second. Peter grabs onto each of his shoulders and stumbles out an array of questions that are barely intelligible.

"Is May okay- did someone hurt her while I was gone, and what happened to the other men? Is she-"

"Maybe if you take a breath you'll actually get the answers you want."

Peter looks like he wants to say more, but he stubbornly closes his mouth into a thin line before offering a simple nod, giving Tony the floor to explain.

"We were able to save your aunt without any casualties, the men who broke into your apartment are most likely in jail by now."

"Are you sure?"

Peter asks the question with such a childlike innocence that it warms Tony's heart in a way he refuses to acknowledge. He ignores the feeling because he doesn't know what else to do with it.

"There's not a scratch on her, the only person she was worried about was you actually. We began to search through security footage around New York City and she was able to recognize the back of your head in one of the shots. From there I did a little more research and found a private jet with a weird triangle logo, and we went to search immediately. I may have been too late but without her it would have probably taken days to find you."

Tony hates to admit it but he had to give the woman credit, she was unstoppable the moment she entered the tower.

The information seems to comfort Peter, and Tony can tell from the way he is able to visibly relax. Of course there was still fear in his eyes as he peers across the ocean, but it wasn't as prominent as it was before.

It's silent for a minute as both seem to process what had just happened, and Tony take the opportunity to examine what little surroundings they had. The sun was shining bright and helped with warming up his body, and he assumes that they were in some sort of tropical climate. He's thankful that he doesn't have to worry about hypothermia, but heatstroke might be an issue in the near future if it becomes any hotter.

Tony stands up and begins to search for any islands that could be near them, yet is the least bit surprised when he faces nothing but blue waves and broken metal.

When he turns around he finds Peter standing up with him, and he fights the urge to lay him down like he would an infant. Instead he takes a closer look to see that Peter's body was trembling, and warning bells ring in his ears automatically.

"Why are you shaking, are you cold?"

'I'm okay," Peter lies.

It's obvious from the way he avoids eye contact, and his voice raises just the slightest bit when he says the words. Tony wonders when he has gotten so good at reading Peter's body language, but it's another detail he chooses not to think about as he stands in front of him.

He knows that he should offer comfort, but something stops him from making the first move.

He sits down on the wet metal instead, staring up at the sky while attempting to figure out what time of day it was. It's difficult to find a clear answer when his heart beats loudly against his chest and distracts from everything else. 

_Peter, Peter, Peter-_


	5. Peter

Peter needs a distraction.

Any time he looks past the sea is when he pictures the dead bodies underneath it, haunting him even as he closes his eyes and tries to think of anything else. He wants to block the image, but it seems impossible when there's quite literally nothing else to do while stranded in the middle of the ocean.

He takes a quick glance at Tony, who appears unbothered by the situation as he attempts to catch fish with his bare hands. The task seems ridiculous with nothing to use as bait, but the man is persistent even when Peter hears him curse from under his breath.

It must have been a few hours since the plane had crashed, though it's difficult to tell with the sun scorching in their eyes. Peter doesn't mind this however, because it at least keeps his body warm as they wait for help to arrive.

That is, if help arrives.

Peter is suddenly desperate for a distraction when he directs his attention to Tony, "I think I might be getting a sunburn."

Tony turns away from the ocean for merely a second, offering a glare at his weak attempt at to make conversation. He opens his mouth only to close it, shaking his head in disapproval and sticking his hand back into the water as if Peter hadn't said anything at all.

He tries not to be offended by the obvious neglect, and any other scenario he would take the hint to keep his mouth shut. That is until Peter looks back at the ocean only to see dead corpses in his head, and suddenly his pride doesn't seem as important anymore.

"Hey Mister Stark, have you ever seen the movie Titanic?"

Tony snaps his head forward then, and the way his eyes bulge out of his face would have been comical if Peter weren't so afraid in the moment. Nevertheless, he feigns innocence as he offers a small smile in return.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just ask that."

"With Leonardo DiCaprio-"

Tony interrupts as he lets out a groan, " _Of course_ I've seen Titanic, how about instead of twiddling your thumbs and talking about the weather you actually help catch a fish or two, that is unless you rather starve."

Peter is at a lost for words from Tony's outburst, and the silence that follows is heavy as neither break eye contact with one another. The hurt must be clearly written on his face however, because there's a flash of regret that reveals itself in Tony's eyes as he's the first to look away.

"I'm sorry, that was harsh."

"No, you're right- I can help," Peter refuses to look back as he moves to Tony's side, silently dunking his hand into the water and waiting for the right opportunity to grab a fish. In doing so he feels Tony's staring into his soul, and he hopes the blush on his face looks like it's forming from the heat rather than his embarrassment.

Tony tries again, "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I'm just stressed and took it out on you... I'm sorry kid."

Peter doesn't acknowledge the apology, but instead takes note of the waves that brush against his fingers. His hand had been in the water for less than a minute, but he can already feel his fingertips begin to prune up. It makes him wonder how the other men look after being down there for so many hours, and he fights the urge to puke what little food he has left in his stomach.

"Peter?"

He finally looks then, glancing at Tony only to see pure concern in his eyes as he peers down at him. From the way his eyebrows furrow makes Peter assume that he had been calling his name for a while now, though he hadn't heard it over the sound of his heart pounding in his chest.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Peter tries to nod, but even that feels disingenuous as he closes his eyes and attempts to control his breathing. Each gasp for air is more painful than the last, and he knows that he's working himself up to hysterics at this point. He hears a voice speak to him, but it sounds far away.

"You're right, that was a stupid question- how about you look at me for a second?"

Every fiber in his bones tells him not to do it, but he's never been one to ignore Tony Stark. He opens his eyes then, and the way Tony smiles at him allows Peter to relax for just a moment. 

"Ah, there's those Bambi eyes."

Peter glares in return, "not funny." 

Tony only offers a noncommittal shrug before placing the palm on his hand on Peter's shoulder. It acts as a silent reminder that he wasn't alone, and he can't help but lean into the touch. He breathes out a wavering sigh before once again closing his eyes, and he tries to commit the feeling to memory. 

"I'm not going to let you die kiddo." 

Tony holds onto his shoulder just a little tighter and his eyes show confidence with his words, though Peter knows that it's a promise that neither can keep. Still, Tony continues to speak reassurances and Peter lets him despite wanting to argue. 

"I told your aunt that I would keep you in one piece, and Iron Man sure as hell doesn't break his promises. You don't need to worry about anything." 

Peter wants to question his logic, but he bites his tongue before he says anything that would be hurtful. While he had always viewed Tony Stark to be invincible, Peter knew that not even he could miraculously save them from this one. A part of him was annoyed that Tony was lying to him, though deep down he knew that the man was solely trying to protect him from the truth. 

Still, Peter doesn't need protecting. 

"It's okay Mister Stark, I'm not afraid of death." 

It's silent for a moment, and Peter's claim seems to have Tony taken aback. His mouth drops slightly open, though he's quick to camouflage his surprise with skepticism. 

"You're not going to die-"

"I am but that's okay." 

" _Peter_ -"

"It's kind of exciting in a way." 

This time Tony doesn't hide the pure shock on his face, and Peter is quick to elaborate before he freaks out.

"Not it a suicidal way or anything like that, I want to live for as long as possible... but we also can't control when we die, and I've always assumed that I wasn't going to live for that long anyway." 

Peter looks up at the clouds then, and he notices that the sun was beginning to set. It creates a pink and orange hue that makes the sky look beautiful, and he can't help but find it a little bit ironic given the fact that this was most likely going to be the last sight he sees before he takes his final breath. 

"Think about it this way, no one really knows what happens after we pass away. Sure, there's the classic idea of heaven and hell, but what that's not it. Maybe our souls are materialized, and every time a person dies they become a star up above- and the good people are the stars that shine just a little brighter than the rest. Or maybe we're reincarnated, and we have endless chances to be better people yet we don't even know it. We could be ghosts too, living on Earth and watching our loved ones move on without us."

Or maybe there's nothing at all, and death truly was the dark void that so many people fear in life. Peter doesn't say this however, and instead he tilts his chin up to the sky and thinks of the endless possibilities of what comes next. 

"Maybe I'll see my uncle." 

Silence, and then- 

"How did your uncle die?"

Peter looks away from the sunset, glancing back at Tony only to see an odd glint in his eyes that he's never seen on the man's face before. He looks almost memorized in a way, though Peter is pretty certain that he was only imagining it. 

"He was shot," he thinks about giving more details, but even after all this time it was difficult to do so without choking up. 

Tony doesn't respond for a minute, and he continues to stare at Peter as if he had so much more that he wanted to say. He eventually looks back at the sky, and the way the sun rests just above the ocean waves makes it look like it could be a postcard. 

"Hey, at least we have a nice view." 

Tony barks out a laugh at that, and he too looks at the ocean in front of them. He appears deep in thought, and Peter welcomes the comfortable silence as he leans back onto the metal raft.

"I think Ben would be really proud of you." 

He shakes his head then, and he wonders if Tony would still be saying this if he knew that Peter was the reason his uncle was dead. He had been with him at the time, yet he stood there petrified as he let Ben take the bullet.

The reminder hurts more than anything, but then a thought occurs. 

"If there's a heaven, how do you think people get in?"

Tony takes the change of topic in stride, "what do you mean?"

"Like... what if you do a hundred good things in your life, but then one really bad thing. Does the bad cancel out the good?" 

"You don't have to worry about that kiddo." 

Now it's Peter's turn to laugh, "that's not true-"

"It is, because if you don't get into heaven then the rest of us are _screwed_."

Peter thinks that he's joking, but then he turns he sees Tony staring straight back at him and he's never looked more serious in his life. 

He still doesn't know if he believes in what Tony was saying but he can't help but smile anyway, and he feels his heart warm with the admission.

"Thank Mister Stark." 

Tony smiles as well, but there's a sad glint in his eyes that Peter can't ignore. He thinks that he's going to say something else, but instead he lays down so the two are shoulder to shoulder. No other words are spoken, and together they watch as stars begin to form the night sky. 


	6. Tony

Tony doesn't fall asleep that night.

He doesn't know how Peter is able to do it, yet he can't help but feel grateful as he watches the steady rise and fall of his chest. He looks peaceful, and the way his body cocoons into itself reminds him of a child sleeping.

He supposes that Peter is still a child after all, with him not even being old enough to grow facial hair or even vote. The reminder sits heavy in his own chest as he desperately attempts to catch fish.

Tony had spent hours upon end sticking his hand under the water knowing that his efforts would do nothing to fend off their hunger. Still, he would be dammed if he couldn't say that he at least tried.

If it were just himself that had survived the plane crash he probably would have given up hours ago. There was no way of saving themselves with no equipment, and with each second that passes by the plausibility of help arriving seemed less likely.

At the same time, he made a promise to May Parker to protect her child and for some reason unbeknownst to him, the idea of breaking it hurts more than anything else.

Peter begins to stir in his sleep, and it's only then when Tony notices the way his body trembles slightly. Warning bells ring in his ears, and while the temperature had dropped since the sun has went down it definitely wasn't cold enough to be shaking like that.

He sits there for a moment, not knowing what to do while Peter was asleep. A part of him was tempted to wake him and make sure that he was feeling alright, but he also knew that this would probably be the only moment of peace he'd get for a while, and Tony didn't want to be the one to break it so soon.

Tony was exhausted at this point, but the unease in his stomach made it impossible to relax let alone fall into oblivion the way Peter has. A part of him can't help but feel jealous of the kid.

Yet he's also grateful, because at the very least it gives him the opportunity to properly react to the past couple hours. He doesn't bother to hide to fear on his face as he takes in their surroundings for what seems like the millionth time that day.

Tony had to admit that he was absolutely terrified, and because of that he thinks he's imagining it when he eventually sees land peaking through the waves a couple miles away from them.

He stands in an instance, almost falling into the water as he accidentally tips the makeshift life raft to the side. Peter only wakes up then after water is splashed in his face, and the way he flinches forward would usually cause Tony to laugh if he wasn't so grateful for the sight before him.

"Rise and shine Sleeping Beauty- tell me you see that island over there."

It takes a little bit for Peter to shake the slumber off, and as he does Tony notices that his body is shaking even more now that he was awake. Even with the sun down it was still reasonably hot outside, and Tony himself was sweating after all these hours of sitting around.

He decides to focus on one problem at a time however, and he puts his attention once more on the saving grace of land in front of them.

"Come on Pete, tell me I'm not going crazy."

"No, I think I see it too... it looks like there's sand."

Peter's voice is thick and slurred as he says this, yet Tony thinks it's due to him just waking up. He pays no mind to it for now and instead begins to claw at the water in an attempt to row them closer to the land.

"Mister Stark, I don't think that's going to work."

Tony takes a break to glare at Peter, "well maybe if I'm doing it all on my own, I think it's time to get those muscles of yours for to good use."

"Should we swim there?"

Tony turns away from Peter, looking at the island but this time with a calculating eye. While it was far from them, they were close enough where they could swim and make it in a reasonable amount of time.

"Just by eyeballing it I would say we're ten miles away from land, would probably take around thirty minutes to swim there if we're diligent."

Peter nods before standing up, looking ready to dive into the sea just like that. Tony catches him before he can jump in, yanking his wrist so he's next to Tony.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Going for a swim."

Tony rolls his eyes, "why waste the energy when we could wait to get there naturally, the waves are moving that way anyway."

"I need off of this life rack-"

"We don't know what's in these waters, it's smarter to wait it out."

"But if we-"

"It's _not_ up for negation, whose the adult here?"

Peter gives an eye roll of his own as he yanks out of Tony grip. From there he moves so he's sitting as far away from him as possible, though Tony wasn't too offended as long as he was listening.

In all honesty, Tony could understand Peter's eagerness to swim their way to the island. He was starting to feel antsy as well, and until now he truly didn't think he would ever see ground again, let alone be able to step on it.

But Peter wasn't looking too good, and even without the sun he could see that his skin was pale and clammy in a way that looked sickly. There was no way Peter could survive a swim in this condition, and Tony wasn't about to be the one to push him especially when he didn't need too.

"How are you feeling kiddo?"

Peter offers a small shrug, clearly upset with Tony despite him simply being the voice of reason. Tony doesn't take it to heart as he tries again.

"Are you feeling cold, you're still shivering over there."

"I'm fine," Peter responds curtly.

Tony sighs at that, finally taking the hint to keep his mouth shut as they wait to get closer to the unknown island.

~

It takes longer than he expects for the life rack to touch the shore.

After their fight Peter had shortly fallen back asleep despite his attempt not to, and Tony watched in silence as he physically pinches himself every few minutes to keep his eyes open. It had taken ten minutes for Peter to grow lax, and Tony had to admit that he lasted longer than he had expected.

Still, it was impossible to ignore just how abnormal Peter's behavior was, and it takes everything in Tony not to freak out then and there.

He nudges his shoulder instead, attempting to wake Peter up without getting in his personal space.

"Eyes open kiddo, time for some sight seeing."

Peter doesn't budge, concerning Tony even more when he didn't think it was possible.

He tries again, "you gotta wake up."

Tony sighs when there's no response, finally accepting that Peter was not going to be opening his eyes any time soon. He then takes off his shoes and throws them a couple feet away before stepping his foot into the water.

The waves feel nice against his skin, and the irony doesn't go unnoticed to Tony as he grabs Peter's arms and drags him onto the shore with him.

When he lets go Peter flops like a rag doll, and Tony can't help but flinch at the way his head bangs onto the ground.

Something then crosses his mind at the sight of Peter simply laying there, and he moves into action immediately. He finds it difficult to breathe as he falls to his knees, and the first thing he checks on his a pulse point on his neck.

It doesn't take long for Tony to find it, and it sounds healthy as it drums steadily against his fingertips. The realization should be comforting, but instead Tony feels his own heartbeat pick up as he takes note of how hot his skin feels against his own.

He moves his hands so it's brushing Peter's cheek, and his fingers squeeze a little too tightly against his jawline in a desperate attempt to wake him up.

"You're starting to freak me out kid."

Nothing.

He holds on tighter, " _Peter_?"

Tony feels like screaming as he shakes the kid's lifeless body. While it's been many hours since they had initially crashed into the ocean, it couldn't have been longer than a day judging from the sun that was just now rising.

There was no reason for his body to shutting down, yet here Tony was alone. 

He sits there wondering how this could have happened so soon, and it doesn't take a genius to come up with the answer.

Peter didn't have the ability to thermoregulate like most people. While it was scorching hot under the sun, that meant absolutely nothing for Peter who was exposed to freezing temperatures under the water.

Realistically Peter should have been able to adjust to the heat eventually, but at the same time he never seems to make things easy for Tony as it is. Thiscombined with the lack of food and water had to put his body on overdrive.

While Tony knows the explanation, for once in his life he doesn't know how to fix it.

He sits there at a lost on what to do, and suddenly the fact that they have reached land meant nothing as he processes just how screwed they really were stranded in the middle of nowhere.


	7. Peter

Peter feels weird.

He wakes up to rocks and sand surrounding him, and he forces himself to open his eyes only to be met with the sight of the blinding sun. 

Peter doesn't know how to explain it, but he doesn't think anything as he looks past the light and instead at the ocean that seemed to have appeared out of thin air. 

The waves crash into the beach in an almost ruthless manner, and the sound is what grounds Peter as he lays there alone. 

A feeling of calmness passes over as he focuses in on the blue waves in front of him, and it reminds him of the time he was eight.

Peter sits up then, connecting the repressed memory to what he was feeling now. While he couldn't remember the details of how he had found himself here, it all makes sense regardless.

He was drowning. 

Peter tries to stand on his feet, working to save himself from the water yet falling on his knees as he's unable to keep himself upright.

It's difficult to breathe, and it feels so much like the time he was a child that he doesn't even question it. The ocean waves ring in his ears as he crawls away.

Peter should be freaking out, but even now he can't help but feel the calm state in the back of his mind. He remembers how the rest of the story goes, and that alone allows him to relax as soon as he starts panicking. 

Ben was going to save him soon enough, he would wrap his arms around his shoulders and pull him before he can sink too low into the water. He'd keep his head above the waves by clinging onto his uncle and refusing to let go even after they've reached the shore.

Peter finally lets his body fall to the sand as he waits for Ben to arrive, and it's no surprise when he shows up only minutes later.

" _Peter_."

His name sounds so close yet far away at the same time, and Peter instinctively reaches his arms out in response. He tries to catch the voice before it can leave his grasp, and he thinks he succeeds when he feels someone holding on just as tight.

"Open your eyes kiddo, let me see you."

Ben sounds like he's on the verge of tears, and that is what inevitably convinces Peter to actually listen as he lifts his head up from the ground.

It takes a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sun, but when they do it's not Ben that he faces but instead Tony Stark.

Now Peter was just confused.

He blinks back at Tony, not realizing that he would not be able to keep himself afloat if it weren't for the man holding his straight.

Wait, not afloat- they were on land. Peter could tell from the way the sand brushed his toes as he squirms under the other's grip.

He focuses back on the man in front of him, trying to remember how they had gotten there in the first place. Meanwhile Tony has a look of relief on his face, and even with Peter's muffled brain he can see the affection in his gaze.

Peter shakes his head, knowing that he has officially gone insane after thinking that.

"So you're not feeling okay?"

He snaps his attention back to Tony, only to realize that he had been talking thiswhole time as Peter sat there with his mouth gaping open.

He snaps his jaw shut, trying for formulate an answer that should have been effortless but instead made Peter's tongue feel heavy.

"I'm okay," he eventually spits out. 

Tony glares in response, "well at least you're feeling well enough to lie through your teeth, that has to be a good sign."

Peter doesn't fully understand what Tony was saying but he nods anyway, trying to catch up with what was happening.

"Mister Stark?"

"And you remember my name, that's another good-"

"How did we get here?"

Tony eventually sighs, "and that's red flag number thirty eight."

"What?"

"Never mind, don't worry about it- how about we get you back to the fire and put some food in your stomach while you're actually awake, which I might I say is a true miracle."

Peter doesn't know what to say to that, yet Tony doesn't seem to mind as he physically drags him back to their original location.

Peter can't help but feel the slightest bit impressed with the distance he was able to make in his delusional state, but he doesn't say the thought out loud. Before he knows it he's next to a campfire in the middle of daylight, and he doesn't think twice on it even as a fish his practically thrown into his face.

"Eat up kiddo, you've got a five star meal in front of you."

Peter examines the fish in his hand, noticing the way it's cooked but not too evenly. Tony nudges his shoulder, causing his body to tip over more than it should before the man catches him seconds later.

"Don't question it, just put it in your mouth."

"How did you even catch this?"

"What did I say about the questioning?"

Peter gives a small laugh at that, which seems to surprise Tony from the way his eyebrows shoot up. He then takes a hesitant bite of the fish and tries not to gag at the texture of it.

He hates seafood, but he forces himself to swallow after Tony gives him a stare that leaves him no other choice.

"Now tell me that isn't the best fish you've ever had."

Peter stares at the fish with a critical eye, trying to hide the distaste on his face.

“Well, uh- it's a fish..."

"Alright smart ass, I'll leave you to starve next time."

Peter laughs again but this time it has more life to it, and the way Tony's own smile grows so his eyes crinkle in the corners throws him off guard for just a moment.

"What?"

Tony doesn't answer right away, though when he does Peter takes note of the emotion laced in his voice.

"You really freaked me out for a minute there."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, I'm not saying it to make you feel bad," Tony lets out a sigh that seems to hold more meaning than Peter could fully understand in the current state he was in. Tony looks like he wants to say more, and there's an uncomfortable silence as he collects his thoughts.

When he continues however, it's less than what Peter was expecting, "I was simply concerned, that's all."

"Oh."

Peter is at a complete lost, and he thinks this is the most emotion that the man has ever shown towards him. He goes to say exactly this but Tony interrupts before he can get the words out.

"Are you still cold?" 

"What?"

"Come on kid, work with me here. Are you cold?"

Peter thinks on this before answering. He doesn't remember being cold, and the question seemed a little ridiculous with the sun out as well as the fire next to them. If anything he should be asking about heatstroke.

He tries to keep the skepticism out of his voice as he answers, "I'm not cold."

If anything it was the perfect temperate, which was odd considering that it was the middle of summer. He looks at Tony with a different eye, seeing the way the man was sweating profusely next to the makeshift camp area.

"Mister Stark, why are we sitting next to a fire in this weather."

Tony lets out a chuckle, but it misses the mark in sounding carefree. "You weren't thermoregulating, without that fire you would be dead by now."

Peter looks back at Tony, not realizing that he had broken eye contact to begin with. The man says the statement so casually as if they we're talking about sports or the news, and Peter feels his eyes widen.

"I don't remember dying?"

"Don't worry about it now."

"But how did-"

"I made sure it didn't happen, that's all you need to know."

Peter sputters at that, and his barely functioning brain works on overtime as he connects all of the missing pieces together.

"You saved me?"

Tony tilts his head as if he were confused, "of course I did, I'm Tony Stark."

Peter considers this for a moment, and he wishes that he had all of his memories of the past few days to know how they have gotten themselves stuck in this situation. He thinks about asking, but even when Tony acts flippant he can see how tense his shoulders were.

A couple months ago Peter would have never noticed this, but he has gotten better and reading Tony's body language despite how subtle they may be.

Peter doesn't ask any more of the burning questions he has, but instead he pulls Tony into a hug before he can psych himself out of it.

"Thanks for taking care of me."

Peter feels Tony's shoulders once again go rigid as he wraps his own arms around him. The hug is uncomfortable, with neither of them knowing how to fit themselves into each other's bodies, though Peter doesn't mind it.

Tony awkwardly pats his back, and that's when Peter finally pulls away to give the man some room to breathe. He expects Tony to look aggravated when he faces him but instead he finds the man to be touched as he smiles at Peter with all of his teeth

"Don't get too sappy on me now. I promised your aunt I would keep you alive and frankly, I don't want to be on her bad side."

Tony says this as if he were completely serious, but Peter is able to read between the lines. He can tell that Tony actually cares about him more than he was willing to let on.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!!! I started this fic a month ago and never got around to completing it but I’m finally back! 
> 
> Also check out https://www.wattpad.com/user/samos7/


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